Wichita eagle., 1887-01-29
MEXIC0'S HOLIDAY.
a FAST AND JOYOUS CARNIVAL
WITHOUT MASKS.

Halloween Observed with a Universally
bot Net with in Other Countries.
E..res-CHrious sEementoes.
The night of Oct. 81, known in the
states Is Halloween, or Holly Eve" is OBJ
served here with d universally that is not to
be met with in our own coufItry and in
very different fashion. 1t fell this year on
Sunday, and about p. m. on that day l
found myself mingled with crowd of peo-
pie who were pouring along The Gale de San
Francisco into the Plaza Mayor, within
whose elegant zocolo q fine military band was
sending forth strains of delicious music
Both the Plaza Mayor and the Plaza de la
Constitution presented most brilliant
sight. They had been converted into tenn
porary fair ground crowded with innumar-
able booths, within which were displayed, BIZ
the light of hundreds of tallow candles,
around which shades of white paper had been
placed to Increase their power, every con-
ceivable variety Of holiday wares Nuts,
raisins, oranges, figs, tortillas, bananas, can
dies, pulque, cakes. toys, hot sausages and
notions were visible in endless profusion
There are occasions when appetite, which is
common to both clowns and gentlemen is
strangely tempted by such ministry and dis
play of eatabies, and doubtless did not the
mode and point of honor-sadly misplaced
by both sexes-whisper forbearance more
than one lechugino tanglice dude and delicate
senorita would be seen devougiag, with a
hearty relish, morsels intended for the more
homely mouths of poems. Troops OF young
brats, trusting to their legs and lungs to pro-
cure them customers 60 winding through the
crowd, Offering circles of -four paste fried in
oil, which are held upon long lath held by
the middle 10 prevent them from breaking.
1t is surprising TO see how rapidly the l2thS
are eased Of their burden and the brittle fry
consumed The kitchen is not far Off. and
two cooks in their shirt sleeves are t;Isily
engaged in producing fresh supplies. One Of
these keeps a large iron pan over a stand Of
charcoal, where it fries and Kisses MOST in
Sitinglv, while the other. seated before a YES
sci filled with water and pan containing the
-four paste, forms the cake in a moment and
draws it out into hollow ring. Thence he
filings it into the bubbling oil, where it browns
and sweIIs into crisp mouthful.
CURIOUS MEMENToES.
But in all this heterogeneous collection of
OF all ara the numerous quaint articles de-
signed to be purchased as souvenirs of the
occasion. Students Of old English customs
have heard Of soul cakes, Z sort of bun whicE.
good-n@tured people used to prepare in large
numbers to give to children who went about
from house to house on Halloween singing a |
song and demanding the soul cake as re-
ward bat the booths in the Plaza Mayor {.
Sunday night displayed soul cakes which, 10.
Appropriateness and elaborate design, far
surpassed the Halloween buns of Old Eng /
land. They consisted OF three layers of cake 1
so placed as to form three steps, covered with I
white icing, and leading up to a chocolate /
cross at the extremity of the topmost layer /
or step.
Upon each Of the other layers there was I
some design in chocolate intended 10 remind (
the purchaser of the solemn occasion the cake /
was meant to commemorate, such as skulls, I
bones and collins. Catafalcoes made Of wood
and painted black from six inches to two
and half feet in height and from three
inches to two feet square, were also highly
popular article OF merchandise. Some Of
them consisted of several platforms rising
one above the other, deliberately draped with
black cloth and embiazoued II gilt with
crosses, skulls, bones and collins There
were skeletons Of every imaginable size and
material upon the counter Of every booth. /
some of them poor, cheap affairs Of paper,
many of candy and others deliberately con-
structed of wood and jointed 50 that the pull
ing Of a string would cause them t. dance (
end caper in a weirily comIcal way. Some
Of them were Enthusiastically dressed like ballet /
dancers and were surrounded hv groups # !
candy skulls
EVERYBODY BUYS THEM.
All classes seem 70 have turned out en-
masse to purchase these mementoes Of the /.
time Men ard women of the highest wealth 1
AMI culture, accompanied by groups OF beau /
tifully dressed, merry children. whose hands /
are full Of soul cakes, skeletons, catafGlcoes
and candy skulls. elbow and are elbowed by 1
the poor poems, who are spending the few
coppers that they have laid by so carefully |
for the occasion.
1t is period Of universal Eiarritaent and (
r-ioicinr-a fast and jovouS carnival with /